As you look back at last year’s garden and begin to plan this year’s, consider the benefits of native plants.
“There’s a new aesthetic,” says Weston Miller, former horticulturist with Oregon State University’s Extension Service. “Gardeners want to connect to nature and the heritage of plants that grow in the Pacific Northwest.”
Part of the draw is the correlation between native plants and pollinators. A native garden is nirvana for bees, birds, butterflies and other beneficial critters.
“The habitat value is really high,” Weston says. “Native pollinators are accustomed to native plants and are more likely to be attracted to them.”
Even with natives, you must think about the right plant for the right place. For instance, plants that grow in the shade of the forest—such as salal and evergreen huckleberry—don’t want the full-sun and prairie conditions required by camas and meadow checkerbloom.
Sun- or shade-loving plants native to the Northwest thrive in wet winters and dry summers given the correct soil, water and sun exposure. If satisfied with their situation, these plants reward you with a low-maintenance attitude.
Weston acknowledges some native plants can look out of place in manicured gardens, but he urges people to use them at the back of a border or to create an area in the garden dedicated to natives. However, many natives such as Oregon grape (Mahonia aquifolium), which blooms a glorious yellow in early spring, act beautifully as specimens planted front and center.
Another candidate for the spotlight is the vine maple (Acer circinatum) with its graceful, multi-trunked form and colorful fall presence.
“Oregon grape is just an awesome harbinger of spring,” Weston says. “Vine maples are also very high on my list. They attract beneficial insects in a big way and can be used as small trees or kept pruned smaller as large shrubs.”
For back-of-the-border situations, Weston recommends oceanspray (Holodiscus discolor), a large shrub
with frothy sprays of white flowers in spring. Another option is elderberry—red (Sambucus racemosa) or blue (S. caerulea).
“If you’re looking for some height, blue elderberries are a good option,” he says. “Birds love the berries, and the blue berries are edible for humans, too.”
When it comes to bulbs, Weston speaks highly of Pacific Northwest iris (Iris tenax), a diminutive iris with flowers in the purple and blue range with white and yellow throats, called signals. He also likes tiger lilies (Lilium columbianum), which have freckled orange or yellow flowers hanging face down with petals curved up.
Weston says his list wouldn’t be complete without the tall, blue-blooming camas (Camassia quamash), which was a food mainstay for Willamette Valley Native Americans.
For perennials, Weston likes the dainty, pink-flowering Pacific bleeding heart (Dicentra formosa), which can be a bit enthusiastic, so it should be planted where you don’t mind it running free. He’s also fond of the hummingbird magnet Western columbine (Aquilegia formosa), perky Oregon sunshine (Eriophyllum lanatum), pink meadow checkerbloom (Sidalcea campestris) and the coastal strawberry (Fragaria chiloensis), which is an easy-going ground cover with berries.
All of these plants can be put in the ground in spring.
Information courtesy of Oregon State University Extension Service.